Straightening machine



July 18, 1944.

W. H. MURSCH STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. W/ZZ/4M A. M05507,

July 18, 1944.

' wqH. MU RSCH STRAIGH'I'QENINIG MACHINE 2, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov;

Patented July 18, 1944 STRAIGHTEN MACHINE William H. Mursch, Grafton,

Pa., assignor to Carnegie-lllinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 2, 1942, Serial No. 464,233

1 Claim.

This invention relates to straightening machines, and more particularly to such machines having revolving die heads for straightening armor plate. Heat treated plates, such as armor plate used on army tanks, are straightened on machines by bending the plates beyond the elastie limit in a direction opposite to the bend or kink in the plate. These kinks may be located at any point on the surface and also may be in any direction with reference to the surface or edges of the plate. If the dies are fixed rigidly to the platen and the ram of the press, the housings of the press must be spaced far enough apart or have a deep enough gap that the plate can be swung around under the dies and still be able to reach any point of the surface. In order to do this, the gap must be approximately twice the length of the plate.

It is an object of this invention to eliminate the necessity for such a wide press by means of the use of rotating dies.

Another object is to eliminate a large part of the swinging around of the plates.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus of the present invention with part of the housing cut away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view Fig.1; and

Fig. 3 is a view partially in cross-section on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral I indicates a housing having a bottom platen 2 and a ram 3. The ram reciprocates in, and is guided by the barrel 4. The ram is actuated by the crank 6 which is driven by means of an electric motor 8. Any well known mechanical connections may be used between the motor and the crank. As shown in the draw ings, the reciprocation of the ram is controlled by means of a foot lever I which actuates a clutch l2. In order to adjust the distance between the dies so that a heavier or lighter blow may be struck and also to accommodate different thicknesses of plate, an adjusting screw I4 is interposed between the pitman l6 and the ram 3. The screw, the head of which fits into socket I8, is moved up or down by turning the nut 20 which has threads 22 formed on its periphery. Motor 24, with the threads 22, rotates the nut 20 to raise or lower the ram. The motor 24 may be controlled by means of a switch located on the maon the line 11-11 of through the worm 26 meshing chine, or in any other position convenient to the operator.

The ram 3 is formed with a cavity 28 in which a worm gear unit 30 is mounted. This worm gear unit rests on the plate 32, which is bolted to the lower face of the ram 3. A turntable 33 to which the die 34 is bolted, is keyed to the end of the slow speed shaft 36 of the worm gear unit. A bushing 38 in the plate 32 acts as a bearing in which the hub of the turntable re- Volves. The bottom die 40 is mounted on a turntable 42 which revolves on the platen 2. A bushing 43 in the platen 2 acts as a bearing in which the hub of the turntable 42 revolves. A shaft 44 connects the turntable 42 to the worm gear unit 45. The top and bottom dies are rotated in synchronism by the motor 48, which drives the gear unit 30 through the bevel gear unit 50 and shaft 54, and the gear unit 46 through the bevel gear unit 50, shaft 56, bevel gear unit 52 and shaft 58. To allow for the up-and-down movement of the ram and for misalignment of the parts at assembly, shafts 54, 56 and 58 are provided with universal joints B0 and telescopic connections as shown.

The lower die is formed with a depression 62 into which the piece being straightened is pressed by the upper die which has a blade like element having an elongated striking face 64, which face extends parallel with the depression in the lower die. A jib crane mounted itates handling of the plates to be straightened.

In operation, the plate is placed on the lower die with the kink below the face 64 of the die 34 and the operator then steps upon the foot pedal I!) to actuate the ram 3. If there is a kink which is bent in a direction opposite to the first bends it 13 only necessary to turn the plate upside down the desired position.

scope of the following claim.

I claim: A machine for straightening heavy plate comprising a ram, a

plate mounted on the lower end of the ram, a turntable carried by the plate, an elongated striking blade supported by said turntable and adapted to be rotatably adjusted about its own axis, a gear unit located in a cavity in the ram and adapted to rotate the turntable, a platen located beneath the ram, a turntable carried by the platen, a die supported thereon and adapted to be rotatably adjusted about its own axis, said die having its working face lying generally in a single plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the die and striking blade, said die at all times in the same plane as the striki g blade and into which the striking blade pres s the heavy plate to straighten the same, a gear unit located in a cavity in the platen and adapted to rotate the second named turntable, a shaft connected to each of said gear units, and a motor for driving said shafts to rotate the striking blade and die in synchronisml WILLIAM H. MURSCH.

having an elongated depression therein locales 

